U.S. patent application number 11/673692 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-15 for method and system for charging electronic devices.
This patent application is currently assigned to Motorola, Inc.. Invention is credited to John M. Burgan, Joseph Patino, Marco Pulido, Russell L. Simpson.
Application Number | 20080111522 11/673692 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39368590 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080111522 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Simpson; Russell L. ; et
al. |
May 15, 2008 |
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CHARGING ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Abstract
A method and system for charging an electronic device (104) is
provided. The method includes negotiating a first current supply
(304) from a first charging port. The first charging port is one of
a plurality of charging ports (106, 108, 110, 112 and 114) present
on a current-supplying device (102). Further, the method includes
negotiating a second current supply (306) from a second charging
port, the second charging port is one of the plurality of charging
ports (106, 108, 110, 112 and 114). Furthermore, the method
includes combining the first current supply and the second current
supply (308) to provide a combined current supply for charging the
battery of the electronic device.
Inventors: |
Simpson; Russell L.; (Miami,
FL) ; Burgan; John M.; (North Palm Beach, FL)
; Patino; Joseph; (Pembroke Pines, FL) ; Pulido;
Marco; (Miramar, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MOTOROLA, INC
1303 EAST ALGONQUIN ROAD, IL01/3RD
SCHAUMBURG
IL
60196
US
|
Assignee: |
Motorola, Inc.
Schaumburg
IL
|
Family ID: |
39368590 |
Appl. No.: |
11/673692 |
Filed: |
February 12, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60865891 |
Nov 15, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
320/162 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02J 2207/30 20200101;
H01M 10/44 20130101; Y02E 60/10 20130101; H02J 2207/40
20200101 |
Class at
Publication: |
320/162 |
International
Class: |
H02J 7/00 20060101
H02J007/00; H01M 10/44 20060101 H01M010/44 |
Claims
1. A method for charging a battery of an electronic device by a
charging device, the charging device being connected to a current
supplying device, the current supplying device having a plurality
of charging ports, the method comprising: negotiating a first
current supply from a first charging port of the plurality of
charging ports at charging device; negotiating a second current
supply from a second charging port of the plurality of charging
ports based on the first current supply from the first charging
port; and combining the first and second current supplies for
charging the electronic device to provide a combined current
supply.
2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein negotiating the first
current supply from the first charging port comprises determining a
current requirement of the electronic device.
3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein negotiating the first
current supply from the first charging port further comprises
extracting the first current supply equivalent to the current
requirement from the first charging port.
4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein negotiating the second
current supply from the second charging port comprises detecting
the second charging port based on a predefined voltage potential at
the second charging port.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising
communicating a charging condition of the charging device to the
electronic device based on the combined current supply from each of
the plurality of charging ports.
6. A method for charging a battery of an electronic device by a
charging device, the charging device being connected to a current
supplying device, the current supplying device having a plurality
of Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, the method comprising:
negotiating a first current supply from a first USB port of the
plurality of USB ports negotiating a second current supply from a
second USB port of the plurality of USB ports based on the first
current supply from the first USB port; and combining the first and
second current supplies for charging the electronic device to
provide a combined current supply.
7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein negotiating the first
current supply from the first USB port comprises determining a
current requirement of the electronic device.
8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein negotiating the first
current supply from the first USB port further comprises extracting
the first current supply equivalent to the current requirement from
the first USB port.
9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein negotiating the second
current supply from the second USB port comprises detecting the
second USB port based on a predefined voltage potential at the
second USB port.
10. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising
communicating a charging condition of the charging device to the
electronic device based on the combined current supply from each of
the plurality of USB ports.
11. A charging device for charging a battery of an electronic
device, the charging device comprising: a plurality of input
connectors for connecting a current supplying device to the
charging device; a microcontroller capable of negotiating a second
current supply from each one of a plurality of charging ports
present in the current supplying device based on a first current
supply from a first set of charging ports of the plurality of
charging ports; and an output connector for connecting the
microcontroller to the electronic device, the output connector
supplying a combined current supply to the electronic device by
combining the first and second current supplies.
12. The charging device as recited in claim 11 further comprising
an extracting module for extracting the combined current supply
from the current supplying device.
13. The charging device as recited in claim 11 further comprising a
detector for detecting the second charging port based on a
predefined voltage potential at the second charging port.
14. The charging device as recited in claim 11 further comprising a
communicating module for communicating a charging condition of the
charging device to the electronic device based on the combined
current supply from each of the plurality of charging ports.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is related to Provisional Application Ser.
No. 60/865,891, filed Nov. 15, 2006. Applicants claim priority
thereof.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates in general to electronic devices, and
more specifically, to a method and system for charging electronic
devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Electronic devices require power to perform a wide variety
of functions. For example, they can be used to play audio files,
send messages, make audio and/or video calls and browse the
Internet. Examples of electronic devices include, but are not
limited to, portable music players, personal digital assistants
(PDAs), IPODs.TM., mobile phones and laptops. A number of
electronic devices have a rechargeable unit, such as a rechargeable
battery. Examples of rechargeable batteries can be Nickel Metal
Hydride batteries, Nickel Cadmium batteries, Lithium Ion batteries,
Sealed Lead Acid, etc. Rechargeable units need to be charged by
using a power supply or a charging device. The charging device can
derive the power required for charging the rechargeable unit from
an external power-supplying unit. The external power-supplying unit
can be a wall socket, a port of a desktop, a port of a laptop, and
the like. The charging device can be an independent unit or can be
integrated with the electronic devices.
[0004] A port on an electronic device can be used to supply
current, with the electronic device acting as the power-supply
unit. One of the most commonly available ports is a Universal
Serial Bus (USB) port on a desktop or a laptop. Moreover, the USB
port has its own voltage-stabilizing circuit and hence provides
protection against potentially dangerous voltage spikes. However, a
charging port such as the USB port has some disadvantages. Firstly,
the charging port can provide only a limited amount of current
until negotiations for additional power are made with the
electronic device harboring the charging port. For example, in the
case of the USB port, only 100 MA of current can be extracted,
prior to any negotiations with the electronic device harboring the
USB port. Further, even post negotiation, a low maximum current
supply can be extracted from the electronic device. For example,
post negotiation, the electronic device may provide only a maximum
of 500 mA of current through the USB port. Also, there maybe a
greater current requirement for rapidly charging the rechargeable
unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and
not limitation, in the accompanying figures, in which like
references indicate similar elements, and in which:
[0006] FIG. 1 illustrates a current-supplying device and an
electronic device, where various embodiments of the present
invention can be practiced;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a charging device, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for charging
an electronic device by means of a charging device, in accordance
with various embodiments of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for charging
an electronic device by means of a charging device by using a USB
port, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
and
[0010] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a detailed method for
charging the electronic device by means of the charging device, in
accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
[0011] Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the
figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not
necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of
some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated, relative to
other elements, to help in improving an understanding of the
embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0012] Before describing in detail the particular method and system
for charging electronic devices, in accordance with the present
invention, it should be observed that the present invention resides
primarily in combinations of method steps and apparatus components
related to the method and system for charging electronic devices.
Accordingly, the apparatus components and method steps have been
represented, where appropriate, by conventional symbols in the
drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent
for an understanding of the present invention, so as not to obscure
the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those
with ordinary skill in the art, having the benefit of the
description herein.
[0013] The terms such as `comprises,` `comprising,` `includes,`
`including,` or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover
a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or
apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only
those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed
or inherent to such a process, method, article or apparatus. An
element preceded by `comprises . . . a`, does not, without more
constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical
elements in the process, method, article or apparatus that
comprises the element. The term `another,` as used herein, is
defined as at least a second or more. The terms `including` and/or
`having,` as used herein, are defined as comprising. The term
`coupled,` as used herein with reference to electro-optical
technology, is defined as connected, although not necessarily
directly or mechanically. The term `program,` as used herein, is
defined as a sequence of instructions designed for execution on a
computer system. A `program` or `computer program` may include a
subroutine, a function, a procedure, an object method, an object
implementation, an executable application, an applet, a servlet, a
source code, an object code, a shared library/dynamic load library
and/or other sequence of instructions designed for execution on a
computer system.
[0014] A method for charging a battery of an electronic device by
means of a charging device is provided, in accordance with various
embodiments of the present invention. The charging device is
connected to a current-supplying device, which includes a plurality
of charging ports. The method includes negotiating a first current
supply from a first charging port of the plurality of the charging
ports. Further, the method includes negotiating a second current
supply from a second charging port of the plurality of charging
ports. The negotiations for the second current supply from the
second charging port are based on the first current supply from the
first charging port. Moreover, the method includes combining the
first current supply and the second current supply to provide a
combined current supply for charging the battery of the electronic
device.
[0015] A method for charging a battery of an electronic device is
provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention. The charging device is connected to a current-supplying
device, which includes a plurality of Universal Serial Bus (USB)
ports. The method includes negotiating a first current supply from
a first USB port. The first USB port is one of the plurality of USB
ports. Further, the method includes negotiating a second current
supply from a second USB port of the plurality of USB ports. The
negotiations for the second current supply from the second USB port
are based on the first current supply from the first USB port.
Moreover, the method includes combining the first current supply
and the second current supply to provide a combined current supply
for charging the battery of the electronic device.
[0016] A charging device for charging a battery of an electronic
device is provided, in accordance with various embodiments of the
present invention. The charging device includes a plurality of
input connectors for connecting a current-supplying device to the
charging device. Further, the charging device includes a
microcontroller that is capable of negotiating a second current
supply from each one of a plurality of charging ports. The charging
ports are present in the current-supplying device, based on a first
current supply from a first set of charging ports of the plurality
of charging ports. Furthermore, the charging device includes an
output connector for connecting the microcontroller to the
electronic device. The output connector for supplying a combined
current supply to the electronic device by combining the first and
second current supplies.
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a current-supplying device 102 and an
electronic device 104, where various embodiments of the present
invention can be practiced. The current-supplying device 102 is
used to charge the electronic device 104 and is capable of
fulfilling the current requirement of the electronic device 104.
The electronic device 104 can be used to exchange information and
data with other electronic devices through a communication network.
Further, the electronic device 104 can also be a portable device
such as a portable media player, a portable storage device, etc.
Examples of the electronic device 104 can be, but are not limited
to, a portable music player, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an
IPOD.TM., a mobile phone, etc. The electronic device 104 is
connected to the current-supplying device 102 for charging the
battery of the electronic device 104, so that the electronic device
104 gets enough power supply to perform various operations. The
current-supplying device 102 can be a direct power supply or it can
be another device that can supply the required power to the
electronic device 104. Examples of the current-supplying device 102
can be, a laptop, a desktop, a direct AC power supply, and so
forth. Further, the current-supplying device 102 has a plurality of
charging ports 106, 108, 110, 112 and 114 for charging the
electronic device 104. The current-supplying device 102 can have
various types of charging ports such as a Universal Serial Bus
(USB) port, a serial port, a parallel port, and the like. The
plurality of charging ports 106, 108, 110, 112 and 114 can be used
to transfer information required to negotiate a current supply with
the current-supplying device 102. The electronic device 104 can be
charged by using a charging device 116, which acts as an interface
between the current-supplying device 102 and the electronic device
104. The charging device 116 can also perform current negotiations
with the current-supplying device 102 if the current requirement of
the electronic device 104 increases when the electronic device 104
is being charged by the current supplying device 102. The current
negotiations that take place between the electronic device 104 and
the current-supplying device 102 are explained in further detail in
conjunction with FIG. 2. Further, the plurality of charging ports
106, 108, 110, 112 and 114 can be used to supply current to the
charging device 116. Examples of the charging device 116 include a
laptop charger, a mobile phone charger, a rechargeable battery
charger, and the like.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the charging device 116, in
accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. The
block diagram is a schematic representation describing the various
components of the charging device 116 and the functionalities
associated with the components of the charging device 116. The
charging device 116 is used to charge the electronic device 104 and
includes a plurality of input connectors 202, a microcontroller
204, an extracting module 206, and an output connector 208.
[0019] The plurality of input connectors 202 connects the charging
device 116 to the current-supplying device 102. The plurality of
input connectors 202 connects to the current-supplying device 102
by using one or more of the plurality of charging ports 106, 108,
110, 112 and 114 present on the current-supplying device 102.
Examples of the plurality of input connectors 202 include USB
connectors such as a Series "A" plug, Mini-B receptacle connectors,
serial port connectors, parallel port connectors, and the like. The
plurality of input connectors 202 are used for draining current
from the current-supplying device 102. Further, the plurality of
input connectors 202 can exchange data or information with the
microcontroller 204. The data or information exchanged between the
plurality of input connectors 202 and the microcontroller 204 may
correspond to negotiations for current extraction from one or more
of the plurality of charging ports 106, 108, 110, 112 and 114.
[0020] The microcontroller 204 can manage the logical functions of
the charging device 116 and negotiates a first current supply with
a first charging port of the plurality of charging ports 106, 108,
110, 112 and 114. The microcontroller 204 uses the extracting
module 206 to extract the first current supply from the first
charging port. For an embodiment of the present invention, the
charging device 116 can include a detector for detecting whether
the plurality of input connectors 202 is connected to the plurality
of charging ports 106, 108, 110, 112 and 114. The detector detects
a second charging port post extraction of the first current supply
from the first charging port of the plurality of charging ports
106, 108, 110, 112 and 114. The detector detects the second
charging port, based on the presence of a predefined voltage
potential at the second charging port. For example, a voltage of 5
volts is present across the USB port in a standard USB port. The
detector can detect the 5 volts at the second USB port, after which
the microcontroller 204 can start negotiating for the second
current supply with the current-supplying unit 102. The
microcontroller 204 can also interact with the electronic device
104 by using a communicating module and the output connector 208.
The communicating module is used to communicate the charging
condition of the charging device 116 to the electronic device 104
by using the output connector 208. The charging condition is based
on a combined current supply from the microcontroller 204 to the
electronic device 104, to charge the battery of the electronic
device 104. The output connector 208 supplies the combined current
supply from the current-supplying device 102 to the electronic
device 104 for charging the battery of the electronic device
104.
[0021] After the negotiations for current supply are completed, the
microcontroller 204 connects one of the plurality of charging ports
with the electronic device 104. The one of the plurality of
charging ports connected to the electronic device 104 can be used
for information exchange between the current-supplying device 102
and the electronic device 104. For example, an IPOD.TM. can be
charged by using a USB port on a laptop and at the same time,
information or data can be transferred between the IPOD.TM. and the
laptop.
[0022] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for charging
the electronic device 104 by means of the charging device 116, in
accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. The
current-supplying device 102 is used to provide current to the
electronic device 104 through the charging device 116. The method
is initiated at step 302. At step 304, negotiations for a first
current supply from a first charging port are initiated.
Negotiations for the first current supply from the first charging
port is required, since initially only a limited amount of current
can be drawn from the first charging port. Negotiations for the
first current supply from the first charging port includes making a
request for more current supply from the first charging port. The
first charging port is one of a plurality of the charging ports
present on the current-supplying device 102 being used to charge
the electronic device 104 by means of the charging device 116.
[0023] For an embodiment of the present invention, negotiations for
the first current supply from the first charging port also include
determining the current requirement of the electronic device 104.
After the negotiation for the first current supply from the first
charging port is complete, a current supply that is equivalent to
the current requirement of the electronic device 104 is extracted
from the first charging port.
[0024] At step 306, negotiations for a second current supply with a
second charging port are initiated. The second charging port is
another one of the plurality of charging ports present on the
current-supplying device 102. The negotiations for the second
current supply from the second charging port are based on the first
current supply from the first charging port. If the first current
supply is greater than a maximum current supply that can be
extracted from the first charging port, negotiations for the second
current supply are initiated at the second charging port. The
maximum current supply of a charging port may depend on the
specifications of the charging port. For an embodiment of the
present invention, the second charging port can be detected by the
charging device 116, based on a predefined voltage at the second
charging port.
[0025] At step 308, the second current supply is combined with the
first current supply to obtain a combined current supply. The
combined current supply is used for charging the battery of the
electronic device 104. For an embodiment, the charging condition of
the charging device 116 is communicated to the electronic device
104. The charging condition of the charging device 116 is based on
the combined current supply from the plurality of charging ports.
The method is terminated at step 310.
[0026] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for charging
the electronic device 104 by means of the charging device 102 by
using a USB port, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention. The current-supplying device 102 is used to provide
current supply to the electronic device 104 through the charging
device 116. The method is initiated at step 402. At step 404,
negotiations for a first current supply from a first USB port are
initiated. The first USB port is one of a plurality of USB ports
present on the current-supplying device 102 being used to charge
the battery of the electronic device 104 by means of the charging
device 116.
[0027] For an embodiment of the present invention, negotiations for
the first current supply from the first USB port also include
determining the current requirement of the electronic device 104.
After the negotiations for the first current supply from the first
charging port are completed, a current supply that is equivalent to
the current requirement of the electronic device 104 is extracted
from the first USB port.
[0028] At step 406, negotiations for a second current supply with a
second USB port is initiated. Negotiations for the second current
supply from the second USB port is required since initially only a
limited current can be drawn from the second USB port. Negotiations
for the second current supply from the second USB port include
making a request for additional current supply from the second USB
port. The second USB port is one of the plurality of USB ports
present on the current-supplying device 102. The negotiation for
the second current supply from the second USB port is based on the
first current supply from the first USB port. If the first current
supply is greater than the maximum current supply that can be
extracted from the first USB port, negotiations for the second
current supply are initiated at the second USB port. The maximum
current supply of a USB port can depend on the specifications of
the USB port. For an embodiment of the present invention, the
second USB port can be detected by the charging device 116, based
on a predefined voltage at the second USB port.
[0029] At step 408, the second current supply is combined with the
first current supply to obtain a combined current supply. The
combined current supply is used for charging the battery of the
electronic device 104. For an embodiment, the charging condition of
the charging device 116 is communicated to the electronic device
104. The charging condition of the charging device 116 is based on
the combined current supply from each of the plurality of USB
ports. The method is terminated at step 410.
[0030] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a detailed method for
charging the electronic device by means of the charging device, in
accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. It
should be appreciated that although the method is described with
reference to the electronic device 104 by using the charging
devices 116, the method can be implemented with respect to any
other electronic device 104 by using other charging devices.
Further, it should be noted that the method can be implemented for
a plurality of electronic devices being charged with a plurality of
charging devices.
[0031] The method is initiated at step 502. At step 504, the
current requirement of the electronic device 104 is determined. At
step 506, the charging device 116 negotiates a first current supply
from the first charging port of the current-supplying device 102.
After the negotiations are completed at step 508, the first current
supply, equal to the current requirement of the electronic device
104, is extracted from the first charging port. The first charging
port is one of a plurality of charging ports 106, 108, 110, 112 and
114 present on the current-supplying device 102. The first current
supply extracted from the first charging port can have a maximum
value as per the maximum current-supplying capacity of the first
charging port. The maximum current-supplying capacity can be a
fraction of the current requirement of the electronic device 104.
For example, typically, the maximum current-supplying capacity of a
USB port is 500 mA. At step 510, a second charging port is detected
by the charging device 116. The second charging port is one of the
plurality of charging ports 106, 108, 110, 112 and 114 present on
the current-supplying device 102. The second charging port can be
detected, based on the presence of a voltage potential at one of
the plurality of input connectors 202. The voltage potential at a
charging port is a predefined value according to the standards
associated with the type of charging port being used. For example,
the voltage potential of approximately 5 volts (V) is present
across the USB input connector when the USB input connector is
connected to the USB port.
[0032] At step 512, a second current supply is negotiated from the
second charging port. The negotiation of the second current supply
depends on the first current supply that is being extracted from
the first charging port. At step 514, the second current supply is
extracted from the second charging port. The second current supply
extracted from the second charging port complements the first
current supply from the first charging port and fulfills the
current requirement of the electronic device 104. At step 516, the
first current supply and the second current supply are combined to
obtain a combined current supply. This combined current supply is
used to charge the electronic device 104. At step 518, the charging
condition of the charging device 116 is communicated to the
electronic device 104. The charging condition of the charging
device 116 is based on the combined current supply. The charging
condition can be either rapidly charging or normal charging. If the
combined current supply is greater than a predefined value, the
electronic device 104 is being rapidly charged. On the other hand,
if the combined current supply is less than a predefined value, the
electronic device 104 is being normally charged. The method is
terminated at step 516.
[0033] Various embodiments of the present invention have
significant advantages over the methods and systems that existed
earlier. The method described in the present invention reduces the
time required for charging the electronic device. Further, the
electronic device can be charged by one or more charging ports
simultaneously. Moreover, the present invention allows the use of
multiple charging ports that are not used by other hardware
appliances.
[0034] It will be appreciated that the method and system for
charging electronic devices described herein may comprise one or
more conventional processors and unique stored program instructions
that control the one or more processors, to implement, in
conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all
of the functions of the system described herein. The non-processor
circuits may include, but are not limited to, signal drivers, clock
circuits, power source circuits, and user input devices. As such,
these functions may be interpreted as steps of a method for
charging electronic devices. Alternatively, some or all the
functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no
stored program instructions, or in one or more application-specific
integrated circuits (ASICs), in which each function, or some
combinations of certain of the functions, are implemented as custom
logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches could also be
used. Thus, methods and means for these functions have been
described herein.
[0035] It is expected that one with ordinary skill, notwithstanding
possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by,
for example, available time, current technology and economic
considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles
disclosed herein, will be readily capable of generating such
software instructions, programs and ICs with minimal
experimentation.
[0036] In the foregoing specification, the invention and its
benefits and advantages have been described with reference to
specific embodiments. However, one with ordinary skill in the art
would appreciate that various modifications and changes can be made
without departing from the scope of the present invention, as set
forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and
figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a
restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be
included within the scope of the present invention. The benefits,
advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may
cause any benefit, advantage or solution to occur or become more
pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or
essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The
invention is defined solely by the appended claims, including any
amendments made during the pendency of this application, and all
equivalents of those claims, as issued.
* * * * *